1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to armored cords that connect telephone handsets to housings of coin telephones and more particularly to brackets for retaining and/or securing the armored telephone cord within the housing of the coin telephone.
2. Background Art
Many coin telephones are located in unattended or isolated areas so as to provide reasonable and continuous access for the general public to the telephone system. Vandalism of coin telephones is frequently a problem, with the handset and cord being the most vulnerable. As a result of such vandalism, out of service conditions may result from damage sustained by the cord due to pulling and stretching of the outer protective covering when subjected to unusually large forces. Such forces frequently result in the cord and handset being completely removed from the coin telephone housing.
In recent years it has become traditional to protect the handset cords of coin telephones by armoring the cord with helically wound metal having adjacent interlocking helicies similar to the BX or Greenfield armor. The outer covered armor sheath allows the cord radially over small radii. The outer sheath is also designed to be highly resistant to penetration or cutting by sharp objects. Additional strengths to overcome any strain likely is to be caused by an unusually large longitudinal force in the handset or cord is provided by internal cable which secures the handset to the housing. This arrangement is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,830 which issued to Leonard H. Drexler et al on May 21, 1985. The current standard generally in use is quite similar to that described in the Drexler et al patent. In such as system, a 3/32" diameter stranded cable having a tinsel strength of approximately 800 pounds or more is used to mechanically connect the handset to the coin telephone housing. The stranded cable utilized is flexible and together with the signal wires is sheathed in the above noted flexible telephone cord armor between the handset and the coin telephone housing. One end portion of the telephone cord armor includes cables and wires extends within the handset, the other end being secured within the telephone housing. The Drexler et al patent fails to recognize a particular problem inherent in the utilization of armored telephone cord as utilized in coin telephones. In those arrangements where only the internal cable is anchored, the armored sheath can also be loosened to cause damage to the telephone by application of longitudinal forces. Various techniques have been devised for procuring the armored cable within the telephone handset and within the housing of the coin telephone itself.
Plainly it is the object of the present invention to provide a new retention bracket for securely anchoring an armored telephone cable and an armored telephone cord within a coin telephone housing.